Two electrical problems, one indoors, one outdoors :(

bozley

Hi folks,
I have 7 lights on my driveway, bollard ones from B&Q. I want to change them and bought something similar just in a different colour. However when I went to change them instead of the usual green/yellow, blue and brown wires as in my original lights there are only 2 connections. Am I right in assuming that as the new lights are double insulated they don't need an earth wire????????
Secondly, I have a multi light switch in my hallway, 2 for outdoor lights on the house, one for driveway lights and one for downlights in my hallway. The switch works one min, then doesn't the next and this happened on and off for a few weeks. Now none of them work. The trip switch in the fuse box doesn't trip so apart from a ghost :eek: do you reckon it could be the switch itself? Been in the house five years and never any trouble with it before.
Thanks

moons657

bozley wrote: »

Hi folks,
I have 7 lights on my driveway, bollard ones from B&Q. I want to change them and bought something similar just in a different colour. However when I went to change them instead of the usual green/yellow, blue and brown wires as in my original lights there are only 2 connections. Am I right in assuming that as the new lights are double insulated they don't need an earth wire????????
Secondly, I have a multi light switch in my hallway, 2 for outdoor lights on the house, one for driveway lights and one for downlights in my hallway. The switch works one min, then doesn't the next and this happened on and off for a few weeks. Now none of them work. The trip switch in the fuse box doesn't trip so apart from a ghost :eek: do you reckon it could be the switch itself? Been in the house five years and never any trouble with it before.
Thanks

for your outdoor lights,they are most probably double insulated so they dont need an earth...
what part of the switch doesnt work??the outdoor lights,inside lights etc?or is it everything on the switch doesnt work as if there is no power at the switch whatsoever?

bozley

yep, no power at all on any of them?????

2011

Am I right in assuming that as the new lights are double insulated they don't need an earth wire????????

You could be. Read the instructions carefully. Sometimes the earth terminal is not where you would expect it. There is a symbol that is often used to show that an appliance is double insulated, it looks like on square inside another.

The switch works one min, then doesn't the next

It is either a bad connection or a faulty switch. Link out the switch to see which.

Switches have a certain rating. If you exceed this it may cause the switch to fail. You have have exceeded this by having it switching too many lights.

M cebee

get a sparkie -these bollards should be rcd'd preferably

class2 or not

kids have been electrocuted messing with these things

bozley

Changed the switch, all fine so far. As for garden lights, had the first ones put in professionally and was just gonna change them, however turns out new lights need a low voltage cable and transformer??? so returned them for something alot simpler! Thanks guys for ur advice:)